Meditation Instructions for Sun., July 26, 2020

For this Sunday, July 26th, the focus for our meditation will be on Accountability.  My first “real” job after college was as a police officer for a medium-sized municipality.  Only once in my time as a police officer did we encounter a situation involving demonstrators.  Workers at a local industrial business were on strike, and the union brought in agitators from outside the area to provoke unrest on the picket lines.  Fortunately, we never had to physically engage the demonstrators, and whatever prompted the union’s grievances with management was eventually resolved.  Switch to recent events in Portland that somehow initially slipped past my awareness.  I had to Google how this entire mess escalated to its present state and still don’t entirely understand what happened.  What I do see from accounts of fellow military veterans who are physically present is clear abuse of force over unarmed and peaceful demonstrators.  The Naval Academy graduate who was injured by a baton-wielding officer had his hands by his sides and in no way presented a physical threat.  Unfortunately, it appears whoever manages these forces called in to protect a federal building may be failing to hold their members Accountable for their actions.  At the same time, I am quite aware that individuals and groups with hidden agendas love to take advantage of the opportunity such protests provide and will use them to conceal their intent to cause damage and incite violence.  Hiding behind the “wall of moms” may be some individuals purposely using them as cover to carry out their desire to cause trouble.  These are complicated situations with no clear delineation of right and wrong.  That said, there is no justification for the instances of forceful over-reaction by whoever comprises these forces.  It reminds me of the violence against the peaceful demonstrations at Selma and sickens me that such abuse of authority continues to this day.  I would ask that this week in our prayer and meditation time we send the light and energy of our prayers to protect all those who wish to peacefully protest in Portland or other cities.  May our light bring attention to those who are only seeking to take advantage of these situations as well as the officers who hide behind the anonymity of their armor to abuse others.  Let this light shine brightly to illuminate any wrongs being perpetuated so those individuals may ultimately be held Accountable for their actions.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands. 

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself what do I feel in my body when I have upheld my own Accountability for my actions?  How does it feel in my body when I see those in authority hold others Accountable for abuses of power?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., July 19, 2020

For this Sunday, July 19th, the focus for our meditation will be on Calmness.  In 1912 a ballot in Ohio for women’s suffrage was defeated mainly because of a leaflet campaign that preyed on male voters’ fears that women’s suffrage was linked to the temperance movement and would result in the banning of alcohol.  As with most conspiracy theories it was built around a small kernel of factual truth.  Susan B. Anthony was not only a key suffragist but was also closely identified with the temperance movement.  However, her association with both causes was coincidental and any furtive connection between the two causes was spurious.  These days social media enable the spread of fake news and other attempts to galvanize voters by appealing to their fears.  It would be easy to shake one’s head and readily dismiss these fears as ludicrous and unfounded, but I’d like to take a different approach.  I want to try and understand the cause behind some of these fears.  Why is it that some segments of our society feel disenfranchised?  Why do some people clearly obsess over the perceived potential to lose specific rights?  What leads some individuals to so believe their freedoms are being threatened they must react with violence?  I may not agree with their viewpoint on certain issues, but at the same time I don’t wish to disregard their claims.  In some way their fears are just as legitimate as any emotions I may have about these matters.  Rather than deny their feelings I would prefer to focus my energy on Calming the fear that seems to permeate so much of our society.  We don’t have to completely understand why they feel the way they do, and we certainly don’t have to agree with them, but we can acknowledge the legitimacy of their emotions and do something to help keep the fear in check.  Perhaps in this way our nation can find greater balance and objectivity which are so badly needed right now.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask Spirit to help us spread waves of Calming energy across this land.  May our desire to bring more Calmness to our communities serve to ease the fear that wants to only unsettle this country.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands. 

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself what do I feel in my body when I have felt Calmness in the face of a fearful situation?  How does it feel in my body when I am able to replace fear with a Calmness that helps me remain grounded and rational?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., July 12, 2020

For this Sunday, July 12th, the focus for our meditation will be on Conversation.  Sadly, our world has a long history of discrimination against many oppressed groups of people.  The anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust or the greed for land and wealth that caused a genocide of Native Americans by early settlers are both examples of how our hatred of those who differ from us can be so chronic and deep-rooted.  When someone is raised in a group of people who have been oppressed and has been made aware of such injustices it is understandable that they would be offended by any modern-day instance of prejudice against their group.  Social media provides a fertile ground for this type of hatred to be exposed.  Posts documented with video footage of the ignorance of individuals acting with prejudice unleash a hailstorm of Internet rage.  Those aligned in solidarity with the victim scream for justice, demand the offender be fired or arrested, and spew vile remarks intended to shame or even threaten them.  Recently we were shown a different type of response.  Julian Edelman is a football player with the New England Patriots.  He happens to be Jewish, and social media posts from DeSean Jackson, a player on a different team, were brought to his attention.  The posts were anti-Semitic in nature, and it would have been tempting for Edelman to publicly humiliate Jackson.  Instead, he gave a thoughtful and measured reply inviting Jackson to sit down and have a Conversation with him about what he had said.  Edelman’s response was filled with empathy, respect, and a desire to reach a real understanding between the two individuals.  This is the path to break down the racial barriers that exist in our society.  We want to learn how to communicate with each other evenly and without anger.  Until we can hold a calm, considerate Conversation with those who think differently we will continue to struggle to let go of our prejudices.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us ask that all people be willing to engage in real Conversation with those they consider to be foes.  May Spirit show us how to express ourselves with sincerity and an open-heartedness that allows a genuine understanding to be reached.

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands. 

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself what do I feel in my body when I have been able to engage in a genuine Conversation with someone who held differing views from mine?  How does it feel in my body when I have been a part of a Conversation that was filled with respect and consideration for the other person?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com

Meditation Instructions for Sun., July 5, 2020

For this Sunday, July 5th, the focus for our meditation will be on Reinvention.  This weekend we celebrate Independence Day to commemorate our declared independence from British rule.  The signed declaration officially signaled the birth of a new era in the young nation’s history.  It also set us on the path to Reinvent ourselves by requiring the nascent government to codify in the U.S. Constitution, and its subsequent Amendments, the rules and principles under which we would all abide.  Various tenets such as freedom of speech and religion, the legal right to due process, etc., ameliorated the conditions our founders felt were intolerable under British administration.  The very fact our nation allowed the creation of Amendments to the Constitution reflects the awareness that we must be willing to adapt to changing circumstances in order to continue to thrive.  Entities such as countries have an organized energy system similar to the energy field of a human body.  When healthy and vibrant, this energy field remains adaptive and changing.  As a nation we appear poised on the cusp of another shift of energy that may alter the direction of our future path.  We are not helplessly carried along by this building wave but have some control over it through how we focus our own energy and actions.  We have the ability to help Reinvent this nation once again and move forward from those beliefs we no longer want to be reflective of us as a country.  This week in our prayer and meditation time let us consider what changes might better serve the future of this nation and its inhabitants.  Let us ask to be shown how to direct our energy to help Reinvent our country in a way that makes us stronger.  May we also come to recognize that strength does not come from rigidity but from the willingness to adapt and Reinvent ourselves when needed. 

In our efforts this week let us also continue to use the energy of our prayers and meditation to amplify the light that covers and fills this nation.  As we perform our meditation this week let us begin by re-energizing the brilliance and power of the light we create.  Just as before, begin by forming a concentrated ball of light that is so bright it is almost impossible to look directly at it.  Raise this sphere of light up high over the nation and then let its rays cascade down to create a solid, impenetrable dome of light that completely covers every inch of our country.  From shore to shore and border to border let the entire continent be filled with this brilliant, dense light that will serve to magnify the best and highest qualities of our country and the people who live across its vast lands. 

Please follow the same practice as before: Get centered in your body, ask to bring in your guides and others who are there to assist us and connect to the circle of others participating in this project.

Ask yourself what do I feel in my body when I have been willing to Reinvent something in order to make it better?  How does it feel in my body when I have seen how Reinvention can bring improvement through greater resilience?  Then send the energy and intention of those feelings to the nation.

Be sure to disconnect from the circle at the end and express thanks for those who have helped us in this effort.

If you have feedback or experiences you would like to share please let me know via e-mail to kmiritello@gmail.com